Chain-link



(Model.)

B. A. BREUL.

CHAIN LINK.

Patented Aug. 27, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT 01mins.

RICHARD A. BREUL, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

CHAIN-LINK.

SPECIFICATION-forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,266, dated August 27, 1895.

Application filed May 28, 1895. Serial N11 560,413. (Modeh) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD A. BREUL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain-Links; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in chain-links; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement for securing together the free ends of the wire of which the link is formed. Up to the present time only two successful kinds of links with regard to satisfactory results in tensile strength are in use. These are the welded links and links of a construction in which the ends of the wire are returned to hook on or close around a suitable portion of the link-body. The production of welded chain, however, is very expensive, and gives reliable and perfect results only when the utmost skill and care are exerted, while links with hooked or returned ends closing around a suitable portion of the link-body are more orless clumsy and contain much superfluous metal.

The invention claimed in this patent is the result of many lengthy and careful experiments undertaken with the purpose in View 05 producing of a single piece of wire a chainlink of the general shape and proportions and the same or superior tensile strength possessed by the welded-coil chain, and to obtain such finished links or any number of them joined together into continuous chain by forming them directly from a coil or wire, in a cold state, by rapidly-operating machinery. I am convinced by the results obtained that in my present invention I have obtained a perfect link with all these excellent qualities, and as such a link has been often sought for, but invariably with unsatisfactory results, prod ucing links entirely unfit for practical use, I do not hesitate to claim that by this present invention I have established a new stage of the art in the production and manufacture of such wire links and chains.

Before giving adescription of my improved link I think it best to allude to the former state of the art in chain-links nearest approaching the construction I have adopted. As will be seen later on, the constructive shape of this link is the same as the old wellknown sister hook, one end of the link being formed by the hooked overlapping and coinciding ends of the wire of which the link is made; also the universally used chain-repair links, the link shown in the method patent, No. 255,866, to David Hults, granted April 4, 1882; also one of my own patents on a split link, No. 375,045, dated December 30, 1887, which is limited to the use of flat wire and having offset-hooks. All these have a similar general formation. In none of these, however, is any provision whatever made for strengthening or securing the hooked overlapping ends, and the strength of all these links is limited to the small strain necessary to unbend the hooked portions. A link in which an attempt was made to provide a fastening for such overlapping ends was patented in England by WV. Morgan, July 3, 1885, No. 8,066. As the greatest portion of the material contained in the overlapping parts of this link, however, was cut away and sacrificed to produce a key and corresponding recess, Morgans link proves to be even weaker in regard to tensile strength than the links previously alluded to. It appears in Morgans application, also, that be employs casings and rollers on the link ends for constructing so-called roller-chains, and without these casings and rollers, both of which tend to keep these weak ends in place, no practicable use whatever could be made of Morgans fastening device.

I will now proceed to describe and fully explain my invention, in which I have succeeded in obtaining a locking of the ends which is equal to and even exceeds the tensile strength of the full-size stock employed. Instead of removing or cutting away a part of the stock on the adjacent faces of the overlapping ends, I slightly shift some of the material, by pressure or otherwise, on the meeting sides of the link ends to form shallow inclined or hooking locking-teeth, which are formed of the greatest possible length and strength by being located preferably in a line across the hooked overlapping ends of the link, and at the same time strengthen this part of the stock by cold swaging. By the peculiar disposition or arrangement of these teeth their gripping or resisting power is increased at a ratio proportionate to the strain exerted on the chain-that is to say, the greater the strain the more resistance is offered by these teeth, owing to their construction and automatic locking arrangement, and no strain short of one sufficient to overcome the tensile strength of the wire will separate any of the links. This firm hold of the contacting ends is induced and effected by the action under strain of the surrounding end of the next link, which forces the two toothed surfaces closely and irresistably together, as hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are views of part of a chain embodying my invention. Fig. 3 illustrates in detail, on an enlarged scale, the locking end of one of the links of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the link end, taken on line so 06, Fig. 3. Figs. 4: and 5 are views of part of a chain also embodying my invention. Fig. 6 is a View of a link hereinafter described. Figs. 7 and 8 show the ends of the link formed with a greater number of teeth, and Fig. 9 shows a straight link embodying my invention.

The links constructed according to this in vention are formed each of a single length or piece of wire A, which is bent at its center to form a loop B, sides 0 O, and converging overlapping ends D. It will be seen that these ends converge toward each other, passing and overlapping, forming a double thickness or layer of the wire stock, thesecurved convergingand overlapping ends being locked together and against thedirection of the strain by the inclined teeth E, which are formed on the said meeting faces or sides without removing any of the material by pressure or otherwise. The exact form or curve of the linkbody has, of course, no bearing on this locking device for its meeting ends, as the link may be left a plain straight link, as shown in Fig. 9, the said linkbeing shown open for use as a repair-link, or its locking ends may be curved or offset to bring them into a plane at rightangles to the loop end B of the link, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6,0r in any suitable plane intersecting that of the bow end, and the interlocking teeth may be formed at any convenient distance to secure the most desirable location from the extremities of the wireblank.

The meeting faces or sides of the converging overlapping link ends are formed, as stated, with the inclined teeth E. As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, which illustrate the preferred arrangement of the teeth, the same are formed of the greatest possible length and strength by being located in a line across the overlapping ends, as most clearly illustrated in the enlarged detail view, Fig. 3, from which it will be seen that the inclined teeth on the inner face of each link end are arranged in line across said end at right angles to the length of the link-body, so that the combined length of the two locking-teeth on each bent end is nearly equal to the full width of the link. The straight faces c of each pairof teeth E lie on the same straight line extending across the link end or bow, but face in opposite directions, as shown, so as to interlock for the full width of the link end, this construction giving the greatest possible bearing-surface to the straight interlocking faces of the inclined teeth, which interlock when the overlapping ends of the link are brought together, so that any strain on the link will simply press said straight faces of the interlocking teeth of the meeting ends more firmly together, it being impossible for the contacting inner faces of the meeting ends to slip on each other. It will further be seen that the loop end B of each link in these chains encircling or inclosing the rounded contacting ends of the next link through which it passes will under a strain operate to force the toothed surfaces of the rounded ends together with a force which will, of course, increase as the strain on the chain increases, rendering it impossible for the said ends to separate. At the outer end of the tooth-impression e, on the shank side of each curved link end, the small strengthening-rib E is formed, which renders that part of the curved end stronger and stiffer, and, extending over and hiding the joint somewhat, as the extremities of the link end seats back of said rib, thus gives the link a neater and better appearance. These locking-teeth may, of course, be varied somewhat in shape or be shifted in position, or more teeth may be added by making the teeth of less depth or making the hooked ends longer, without deviating from the spirit of this invention. In Fig. 6 the small strengthening-ribs E are shown dispensed with. In Fig. 7 the link ends are shown formed with a larger number of the locking teeth, while in Fig. 8 the series of teeth are shown inclined to the line of the wire instead of extending across it at rightangles.

As the construction of every part of my improved link is from the drawings and above description now well understood, I desire to call attention to special features, their advantages, and the results produced. As will be seen, the combined length of the two looking teeth on each bent end is nearly equal to the full width of the link. By these means I obtain the greatest length of teeth attainable, their area of efiective hooking-surface being twice as large as that of a tooth intersecting the wire at right angles, and the compressed parts at the recesses are made very broad and consequently strong. These points, although very important and far reaching in desirable result-s, comprise only part of the improve ment and advantage gained by placing and forming the teeth in the preferred form shown. Not only are the effective parts of the teeth absolutely placed into the stih unyielding stock in the doubled end of the link, which is closely surrounded, and the teeth immovably held in contact by the U shaped embracing end of the next link, but, as these teeth are disposed at right angles to the length of the link, they directly resist and oppose any end strain on the link. No shifting or displacement of the shape of the link or any part thereof can take place unless an over strain or stretching of the wire itself should take place, or if after that the wire should be pulled apart; also the hooked overlapping ends are positively kept in the same position and exact shape until the link is broken, as a strain on thelink, no matter how great, will cause the shanks of the link to pull squarely against the tooth e on the end of the hook of the opposite shank, both curved hooks having this end tooth e by the peculiar trans verse arrangement of the teeth, as shown. This feature of unaided positive balance of strain on every part of the link has not been obtained heretofore in any link of analogous construction not welded and made of a single piece of wire.

1 have also gained the following advantages, rendering my link an important improvement, which promises great success as a new article of manufacture: I do not lose any material or weaken the stock by thus forming and placing the locking teeth. I do away with costlyand tedious forging, welding,millin g, or cutting operations. Consequently the objectionable features of chips, scales, sharp corners, or burrs are avoided. The links are formed by rapid bending and swaging operations, many feet of endless chain being thus produced in a single minute; also, this chain has proved to be of greater tensile strength than the common welded-coil chain of same weight. No weak or defective links can occur, as all links are of practically equal strength.

What I hereinafter claim as new and as embodying the gist of my present invention consists in the locking teeth of the described shape and disposition on the inner meeting surfaces of the overlapping hook-shaped ends of the old and well-known split chain-link, also shown and described as provided with my improvement, the recesses necessary for the production of these teeth being formed Without any cutting away or loss of material, the superfluous stock being shifted into the flattened portions, thereby broadening and hardening them, and rendering them as strong, or nearly so, in the direction of end strain on the link as are those parts of the link and wire which contain no indentations.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- 1. The improvement in a chain link, constructed of a single piece of wire, bent at its center to form a loop, sides, and converging, curved, overlapping ends, the lapped portion containing an unreduced double layer of the wire employed, said improvement consisting in the herein described interlockingteeth E, located on and mutually engaging the inner meeting faces of the above defined overlapping ends, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a split chain link having overlapping hooked ends, on the inner faces of which are formed by pressure, without removing any of the stock or material, the herein-described interlockiug teeth E and strengthening ribs E, arranged as specified, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD A. BREUL.

l Vi tnesses Connnmus Torrrrzna, SIG DORMITZER. 

